Archives de pédiatrie : organe officiel de la Sociéte française de pédiatrie
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Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is characterized by inflammatory lesions containing abundant CD1a+ CD207+ histiocytes that lead to the destruction of affected tissues. This disease has a remarkable pleiotropic clinical presentation and most commonly affects young children. Although the current mortality rate is very low for childhood LCH patients (<2%), reactivation frequently occurs after a long period of disease control and the rates of permanent complications and sequelae remain high. ⋯ Quantification of the plasmatic BRAFV600E load for this group of patients can precisely monitor response to therapy. Finally, targeted therapies, such as BRAF inhibitors, are new therapeutic options especially designed for refractory multisystemic LCH involving risk organs. However, the long-term efficacy, long-term tolerance, optimal protocol scheme, and appropriate modalities of administration for these innovative therapies for children still need to be defined, a huge challenge.